Owner John Sherman, head of baseball ops JJ Picollo, and the entire Kansas City Royals organization came out swinging in December. Halfway through the month, the team had spent the fourth-most free agent dollars out of any big league club. The Royals did this by going out and adding not one, but two starting pitchers in Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha. They also added a few relievers and a legit starting outfielder in Hunter Renfroe.
Barring any future moves (and depending on the results of arbitration cases), the 2024 Royals payroll is close to $110 million, about $18 million more than 2023 Opening Day and the franchise’s highest big league payroll since 2018.